You finally made it home.

The emails have been answered (well…most of them). Dinner is handled. Your work clothes are off. You sit down on the couch for “just a minute,” pick up your phone—and somehow 45 minutes disappear into Instagram, TikTok, news alerts, group chats, and videos you don't even remember watching.

Sound familiar?

As a physician, I spend a lot of time thinking about stress—not only the dramatic kind, but the everyday, low-level stress that quietly follows us home from work. And as a busy woman myself, I also understand how tempting it is to reach for the easiest possible escape at the end of a long day: a screen.

But scrolling and relaxing aren't necessarily the same thing.

Sometimes what our brains really need is a change of pace: movement, creativity, quiet, nature, connection, or simply an activity that allows us to focus on one thing at a time.

In fact, creating a screen-free evening routine may also be good for your sleep. Sleep experts commonly recommend reducing electronics before bedtime and replacing them with relaxing activities such as reading, journaling, or other quiet pursuits.

So tonight, put the phone down—yes, after you finish reading this—and try one of these instead.

1. Try a Paint-by-Number Kit 🎨

Let's start with one of my personal favorites, and something I do myself almost every evening.

You don't have to be an artist. You don't need to know how to mix colors, sketch a face, or understand perspective. That's exactly what makes paint by number such a wonderful after-work activity.

You simply sit down, choose a numbered section, find the corresponding paint color, and begin.

There is something wonderfully satisfying about watching a blank canvas slowly transform into a finished piece of artwork.

And there's actual science behind the idea that making art can be relaxing.

In one study, researchers measured cortisol—a hormone associated with the body's stress response—before and after 45 minutes of art making. Cortisol levels decreased significantly after the art-making session, and participants frequently described the experience as relaxing and enjoyable. Interestingly, the results didn't depend on whether someone had previous art experience.

That's one reason I love paint by number for adults: you get the creative experience without the pressure of figuring out what to create.

Put on some music, pour yourself a cup of tea, and paint for 30–45 minutes.

And yes, I'm a little biased here. I created Relax & Paint specifically to make beautiful, culturally resonant artwork something people could enjoy creating at home.

Browse the paint-by-number collection at Relax & Paint.

Physician's prescription: No artistic talent required. Perfection is prohibited.

2. Take a 20-Minute “Decompression Walk” 🚶🏾♀️

Not a power walk.

Not a calorie-burning walk.

Not a “let me see how many steps my watch says I took” walk.

Just…walk.

Leave the phone at home if it's safe to do so, or put it on Do Not Disturb and keep it in your pocket. Don't look at it. Look up and around you, and enjoy your surroundings. 

Physical activity has both immediate and long-term health benefits. The CDC notes that even a single session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can reduce feelings of anxiety and improve sleep quality.

Your walk doesn't need to be intense. Give yourself permission to notice your neighborhood, the sky, the trees, the temperature and the sounds around you.

This isn't exercise punishment.

It's a transition ritual between work you and home you.

3. Read an Actual Book 📚

Remember those rectangular paper things we used before our phones started doing everything?

Bring them back.

Reading is one of the easiest ways to give your brain somewhere else to go for a while. A good mystery, romance, historical novel, biography, or even a beautifully illustrated coffee-table book can redirect your attention away from the day's problems.

And here's the important part:

Read the paper version.

If your goal is to reduce screen time before bed, switching from your phone to an e-reader or tablet doesn't completely accomplish that goal. Harvard sleep experts recommend turning off electronics before bedtime and choosing quieter activities such as reading instead.

Create a little reading corner. Add a blanket. Make some tea.

Ten pages may turn into 50.

4. Cook Something Slowly—On Purpose 🍲

I know. After working all day, the last thing some of us want to hear is, “You know what would be relaxing? More work!”

But this isn't Tuesday-night-get-food-on-the-table cooking.

This is recreational cooking.

Try homemade bread. Make soup from scratch. Bake cookies. Experiment with a recipe you've been saving. Chop vegetables slowly instead of racing through them.

Cooking engages multiple senses simultaneously: smell, touch, taste, sound and sight. It also gives your attention a concrete task instead of allowing your mind to keep replaying the day's frustrations.

Bonus points if you're cooking purely because you want to—not because somebody is standing in the kitchen asking what's for dinner.

5. Sit Outside and Do Absolutely Nothing 🌿

This one might feel strangely uncomfortable at first.

Take a chair outside.

Sit down. 

Take deep, soothing breaths.

That's it.

No phone. No podcasts. No emails. No productivity.

Look at the sky. Listen to the birds. Watch people walk by. Sit on your patio, porch, balcony, backyard or at a nearby park and focus on the small activities of present moment, and nothing else.

Research examining exposure to natural environments has found evidence that nature exposure can positively affect both perceived and physiological measures of stress, although studies vary in their methods and findings.

We spend enormous portions of our lives indoors looking at artificial light and digital screens.

Sometimes your nervous system may appreciate something remarkably simple:

Outside.

6. Put On Music—and Actually Listen to It 🎶

Not while answering emails.

Not while scrolling.

Not while cleaning six rooms simultaneously.

Choose an album you love and simply listen.

Music is often used as a relaxation tool, although research on its measurable effects on stress recovery is mixed and appears to depend on factors such as the type of music and whether the listener chose it themselves.

Science aside, most of us already know the experience of hearing the right song at exactly the right moment.

So create your own after-work playlist.

Jazz. Gospel. R&B. Classical. Neo-soul. Old-school hip-hop. Afrobeats.

Whatever tells your brain:

We're done working now.

And if dancing happens, even better.

7. Start a Puzzle 🧩

Puzzles are wonderfully absorbing because they give your brain a problem that has absolutely nothing to do with your actual problems.

Nobody needs an email response.

There is no deadline.

Try a 500- or 1,000-piece puzzle and leave it on a table so you can work on it for 15–30 minutes each evening.

There's also something psychologically satisfying about an activity where the problem has a definite solution.

Eventually, every piece has a place.

If only life were that cooperative.

8. Try Gentle Stretching or Yoga 🧘🏾♀️

After spending hours sitting, standing, driving, typing, rounding, commuting or staring at a computer, your body may be carrying more tension than you realize.

Try 10–20 minutes of gentle stretching.

Roll your shoulders. Stretch your hips. Move your spine. Breathe slowly.

You don't have to turn your living room into a boutique yoga studio.

Physical activity supports mental as well as physical health, and the CDC notes that adults can gain health benefits from being active even when activity is broken into smaller portions throughout the week.

The goal here isn't fitness.

It's reconnecting with your body after spending all day living inside your head.

9. Journal for 10 Minutes ✍🏾

You don't need a leather-bound journal and a fountain pen.

A $2 notebook will work perfectly.

Set a timer for 10 minutes and write whatever comes to mind.

What irritated you today?

What went well?

What are you worried about?

What are you grateful for?

What do you need to handle tomorrow—and therefore do not need to keep thinking about tonight?

Think of journaling as taking all those open browser tabs in your brain and putting them somewhere else.

Harvard sleep guidance even suggests writing worries down in the evening as one strategy when a busy mind is interfering with sleep.

Your journal doesn't need to be profound.

Some days the entry may simply be:

"Today was ridiculous. I'm going to bed."

That counts. The point is, write it and leave it on the page, and not festering in your mind. 

10. Do Something With Your Hands 🪴

Modern life asks our brains to process information constantly.

Notifications. Messages. Numbers. Headlines. Calendars. Decisions.

So give your brain a break and give your hands something to do.

Try knitting. Crocheting. Gardening. Flower arranging. Coloring. Pottery. Building a model. Doing a crossword puzzle. Organizing a photo album. Making jewelry. Repotting your plants.

The specific hobby matters less than finding something that feels enjoyable rather than productive.

You do not need to monetize it.

You don't need to become amazing at it.

You don't need to start an Instagram account documenting your progress.

You are allowed to have hobbies that exist for absolutely no reason other than:

I like doing this.

Your Brain Deserves This.

We often physically leave work without mentally leaving it.

Our bodies make it home, but our brains are still answering emails, replaying conversations and thinking about tomorrow.

That's why I love the idea of creating a screen-free transition ritual after work.

It doesn't have to take hours.

Start with 20 or 30 minutes.

Put your phone somewhere you can't automatically reach for it. Take a walk. Paint. Read. Stretch. Cook. Sit outside.

And don't turn relaxation into another item on your achievement list.

You don't have to optimize every minute of your life.

Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do after a long day is simply choose an activity that tells your body and your brain:

The workday is over. You can rest now.

And if you'd like to spend that time creating something beautiful, grab a canvas, pick up a brush, and join us at Relax & Paint.

Your masterpiece doesn't have to be finished tonight.

That's kind of the point.

Sources

Kaimal G, Ray K, Muniz J. Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants' Responses Following Art Making. Art Therapy. 2016;33(2):74–80.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Benefits of Physical Activity and Health Benefits of Physical Activity for Adults.

Antonelli M, Barbieri G, Donelli D. Effects of nature exposure on perceived and physiologic stress: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2020.

Harvard Health Publishing. Sleep hygiene: Simple practices for better rest

Adiasto, et al. Music listening and stress recovery in healthy individuals: A systematic review with meta-analysis of experimental studies.

This article is intended for general wellness and educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice.